MST3K 910 - The Final Sacrifice
The Movie Synopsis ' (Bruce J. Mitchell)']]In the first scene of the film, hooded men chase a lone man through a snowy forest. A shot rings out and the opening credits roll. The protagonist, Troy McGreggor, finds a map belonging to his late father, who was shot seven years earlier, as the first scene depicts. Troy’s father, Thomas, was an archeologist who met his untimely death after becoming involved in a plot with a mysterious cult led by a strange man named Satoris (Shane Marceau). The orphaned Troy decides to follow the map to learn about the circumstances of his father's death. The cultists learn about Troy and his father's map and begin chasing him in a black Ford Torino, but Troy escapes by outrunning them on his 10-speed bicycle. The cultists refuse to give up, however, and in a final attempt to escape, Troy jumps into the back of a battered pickup truck heading into the Alberta countryside. The truck belongs to a drifter with the unusual name of Zap Rowsdower. At first Rowsdower considers turning Troy over to the police, but after Troy helps him to fix his broken-down truck, he decides to let Troy stay with him. At a campfire that night Troy asks Rowsdower lots of questions, which irritates the grumpy Rowsdower, who drinks lots of beer and rubs his tattooed left arm as if he's in pain. )]]The map leads Troy and Rowsdower all over Alberta, through some hidden caves, and finally to the unkempt house of a grizzled fugitive by the name of Mike Pipper (Ron Anderson). Pipper was apartner of Troy’s father (Pipper Partner), and has been hiding in the woods from Satoris for seven years. Pipper reveals that the cultists are the last descendants of an ancient and advanced race called the Ziox, who had inhabited the area long before the Indians, and whose civilization was destroyed by their god in a month-long rainstorm after they turned to worshiping unholy idols. According to Pipper, the Ziox built a great city that was more advanced than "anything the ancient Egyptians or Romans ever knew." He believes that Satoris wants to raise the buried city in hopes that it will restore power to the Ziox and allow him to conquer/rule the entire world. Pipper also casually mentions that Rowsdower once belonged to the evil cult and may have killed Troy’s father. Rowsdower reveals he has the cult’s insignia branded on his arm, like the other cultists. Satoris seems to be able to torment Rowsdower through the mark, as we see Rowsdower writhing in agony while asleep, presumably having a Satoris-induced nightmare. Eventually, Troy is captured by Satoris and his cult, who use the map to locate their ancient idol. Satoris means to make Troy the titular final sacrifice. It’s up to Rowsdower to save Troy and put an end to the cult’s activities. Pipper gives him his horse and an old rifle, and directs him to the ancient Ziox sacrifice site that he was able to decipher from Troy's map. Rowsdower stumbles upon the site of the idol and begins to duel with Satoris, who reveals that when the moment came, Rowsdower could not bring himself to kill Troy’s father and Satoris had to do it himself. Satoris is about to kill Rowsdower when Troy manages to intervene, shooting the cult leader in the back with Rowsdower’s rifle. Satoris’ death causes the destruction of the idol and the reemergence of the lost city of Ziox, indicating that Satoris was the true final sacrifice. Instead of bringing about evil, the risen city (as Pipper had foretold) is actually a force for good, and Satoris' cult breaks up as its members are freed from his evil influence. Troy and Rowsdower observe the rise of the lost city from the ground, then the two heroes drive off together. Information * Final Sacrifice (also known as Quest for the Lost City) was a student film by Tjardus Gredanus, a film student at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. The film was made on a budget of under $2,000 and none of the cast (made up of local theater actors and SAIT students) were paid for their roles in the film. *Bruce J. Mitchell, who played Zap Rowsdower, is confused with Christian Malcolm, who plays Troy, in the closing credits. According to Mitchell, the film ran out of money to fix it, and the mistake remained in the film. http://www.d1041111.dotsterhost.com/mst3k/special-events_interview_bruce-j-mitchell-main.html *Malcolm was a Drama student at SAIT and co-wrote the screenplay. http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0539094/ *The working title for the film was The Dawn of Ziox. http://forrestcrow.proboards.com/thread/6630 *During the film, a distinctive crow caw sound can be heard several times. This is a stock sound effect, used most famously on The Simpsons during establishing shots of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. *One of only seven films shot in the 1990s to be featured on the series. *The woman holding the wine glass in the photo on the dash of Zap's truck is Bruce J. Mitchell's wife, Angela. The Episode Host Segments *'''Prologue: Gypsy has to turn off the power, and Mike warns the bots not to loot, but they do it anyway. Crows steals his own TV and Tom gets Mike's recycling. They're not very good looters. *'Segment 1:' Pearl tries to rule the world one person at a time. She tries with her first victim, but fails. Tom is next on the list, but Pearl fails again. Brain Guy sends the movie while she thinks how to rule the world *'Segment 2:' Tom sings The Canada Song to try to stop Mike and Crow from making fun of Canada, but soon starts impugning the country as well. "]] *'''Segment 3: Bobo ate a bad can of Canadian Bacon and got hockey hair. Soon, everyone gets it, except for Mike who already had it from 1982-1992. *'Segment 4:' Crow and Tom are trying to find out how to get rid of their Hockey hair, when they discover that Mike has gotten grizzled old prospector's syndrome. *'Segment 5:' Crow and Tom start a cult of their own, but freak Mike out with the un-culty things they do. Meanwhile, Pearl tries a new strategy to rule the world one person at a time. *'Stinger:' Troy lying in front of a fire and saying "Rowsdower". Guest Stars Todd Gunderson - Peter Rudrud (Sci-Fi era production manager) Karl - Paul Chaplin Callbacks * “A worwilf!” (Werewolf) Songs * "I Wish I Was Back in Old Canada (aka The Canada Song)" Music and lyrics by Bill Corbett & Michael J. Nelson Goofs * As Rowsdower is being chased by a cult member in a pickup truck, Crow remarks, "Oh no! He's got a Chevy! They're so dependable!" In fact the truck has a GMC logo prominently visible on its grille. Trivia * This episode aired fifth during ''Turkey Day '13, and third during Turkey Day '16. * Ranked 4th in the Top 100 Episodes as chosen by backers of the Bring Back MST3K Kickstarter. Quotes and References *''"Now I have to listen to As It Happens."'' :"As It Happens" is a current affairs show on . *''"Randy Bachman is being pursued by sado-masochists!"'' : is a Canadian musician best known as a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. * "Hey! El Santo!" :A thug in a ski mask can be seen through the window sneaking through the yard. El Santo is the masked luchador (Mexican wrestler) who starred in (among many other movies) Samson vs. the Vampire Women. * "I found a kid in the back of my truck." "And Play is in the front seat." '' : was a hip-hop duo popular in the early 90s. '' *''"He's working on his Bud Cort scrapbook."'' : is an actor who played the male protagonist in the classic film Harold and Maude. Troy bears a vague resemblance to Cort's appearance in that film. *''"It's his Michael Feinstein signature bat."'' : is a pianist and song writer known for his cabaret style of playing. This riff seems to play on the notion that the effete Troy must be a lover of musicals, as Michael Feinstein isn't known for playing baseball. Michael J. Nelson had played Feinstein on the show in earlier seasons. *''"I solved Myst in ten minutes, why can't I do this?"'' :The quote presumably refers to , an early-90's computer game. Myst is alternately loved/hated for its many intricate puzzles. This riff plays on the notion that completing the game in ten minutes would indicate significant skill at solving such puzzles, but also imply nerdiness. *''"Free pictures of Brian Mulroney with fill-up!"'' : was the prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. *''"And they take refuge in the Anne Murray National Forest."'' : is a Canadian singer. She does not have a National Forest named after her. *''"I know all the songs from Once Upon a Mattress."'' : is a slightly bawdy musical comedy based on the story of . *''"He's wearing fashions by Mac Davis."'' : is a country music singer and songwriter who is best-known for the song "It's Hard To Be Humble". *''"This is no time for zymurgy!"'' :Spoken by Crow when Rowsdower pours gasoline into a beer bottle to make a Molotov cocktail to throw at the cultists chasing their truck. Zymurgy is the study of fermentation, more notably, the study for alcohol beverages like beer and wine. *''"If this doesn't work, I'll throw balls of carp dough!"'' :Carp dough is homemade fishing bait used specifically to catch carp. *''"Canadian MANNIX!!!"'' :Spoken by Tom Servo when the baddies car runs off the roadside. Mannix was a popular American TV show from 1967 - 1975. A good deal of the time, the show's hero gets his car run off the road by another car in the same fashion as in this movie. *Zap: "It's a cult."' Crow: "They worship Blue Oysters" : is an American rock band. *''"My Hawkwind album cover will help!"'' :Hawkwind is a British progressive rock band. *''"A Treasury of Sergio Aragonés sketches"'' : is a cartoonist who created cartoons in the margins of Mad Magazine. He also created "Groo the Wanderer". *''"I'm sorry, what was that about Burton Cummings?"'' : is a Canadian musician and was the lead singer for the band for a number of years. *''"I can see why Quebec wants to be separate from all this"'' :The refers to the history and present status of multiple, multi-lateral political movements aimed at attaining statehood for the Canadian province of Quebec. Three years before the episode first aired, the movement had suffered a narrow defeat in . *''"It's just a jackalope."'' :A is an imaginary animal - a jackrabbit with the antlers of an antelope. Taxidermied specimens are popular novelty items in some rural areas. *''"Of course, the clock's set to Miami time" '' :The constant reference to Larry Csonka, whenever the dad's photo is shown and thereafter. Csonka was a running back for the Miami Dolphins, and the MVP of Super Bowl VIII. He looked a lot like the guy in the photo, mostly because of the moustache. *''"And I will be the one / To hold Larry Csonka down / Kiss him so hard / I'll take Larry Csonka's breath away..."'' :This is a reference to the song " " by Sarah McLachlan, which is about stalking (the crew makes various jokes about Troy stalking Larry Csonka). *''"Mrs. Costanza!"'' :A reference to the character of Estelle Costanza, George Costanza's mother, from the sitcom . *''"Oh I love trash!"'' (Car collides with trashcan) "Ow!" :A reference to a song sung by , a Muppet on the PBS show Sesame Street, who lives in a trash can. *''"Geddy Lee's birth place!"'' :Geddy Lee is the lead singer, bassist, and keyboardist for Canadian progressive rock band Rush. *''"The guy upstairs has bad enuresis."'' : is a condition in which one has lost the ability to control their urination. *Crow:'' "It's Heckle!" Tom: "No it's clearly Jeckle."'' : are cartoon magpies from Terrytoons Studios. They are basically identical. *''"Gordon Lightfoot at home"'' : is a Canadian singer and songwriter best know for songs such as "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". *''"He's gonna turn into a warwilf!"'' :A call back to the episode Werewolf and the many varied pronunciations from it. *''"I was gonna sing something from Bone Machine"'' : is an album by raspy voiced singer Tom Waits. *''"Oh! Another M.I.!"'' :M.I. = Myocardial Infarction = Heart Attack *''"If women don't find you handsome hope they at least find you handy."'' :The raspy voiced hermit sounds similar to Red Green, who uses that line to sign off after the "Handyman Corner" segment of his show. *''"I'm just remembering a scene from Bio-Dome."'' : is a comedy film starring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin in which they inadvertently become trapped in a sealed "bio-sphere"-type environment. *''"The McCulloghs are here!"'' :In reference to the chainsaw coming through the door. McCullogh is a brand of chainsaw, which can be seen on the side of the chainsaw as it cuts through. *''"Well, let's just go get some bullwhips and pose for Mapplethorpe."'' :A reference to the work of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whose photography often depicted people engaged in sadomasochistic behavior. *''"Look into your heart, eh?"'' :A reference to the movie Miller's Crossing, in which the character Bernie uses that phrase (minus the "eh") to plead for his life in very similar circumstances. Memorable Quotes : the SOL, Gypsy turned off the power for maintenance. The Bots have looted the SOL : '''Crow: If it goes out again, I'm grabbing my blender. : film is credited as "A Tjardus Greidanus Film". : Mike: I understand everything up to the word "A". : Crow: He comes from a long line of great anuses. : . . . : Crow: That's an anagram for "direct to video!" : the name Bharbara Egan. : Crow: That's an illegal use of a silent consonant! : the name Ron Anderson and Randy Vasseur in the opening credits. : Mike: You know what? This has the bacony smell of Canada all over it. : Servo: Already. : card after the prologue and credits reads "Seven Years Later". : Servo: Seven years after the credits? : Mike: confused I guess. : figure leisurely lopes through a graveyard. : Crow figure: Well, I better get back to my grave; sun's been up an hour, I'm startin' to disintegrate. : . . . : Mike: Heh... you know, people are just dying to— : Tom: sharply '''''No. : Mike: ...Sorry. : . . . : visits his father's grave. : Troy: voiceover Hello, Dad. It's been a long time. And I miss you. I want to know what happened to you. : Mike Troy's Father: I died. : enters his attic. : Mike: Oh, this is where they get all the stuff to put in T.G.I. Fridays. : . . . : opens a trunk. : Crow Troy: This is where I've secreted away all my red sweaters. : Servo: Oh, boy. He's going to find out his dad is a rodeo clown. : Mike Troy: I don't care if I'm too old. I'm getting my Batman pajamas back out of here. : . . . : Servo Troy: Well, if I'm going to be a ventriloquist dummy, I'd better learn how to live in this trunk. : reaches in and pulls out a folder. : Crow Troy: Now I'm going to settle in with the Book of Mormon. : opens the folder and pulls out a picture of his dad. : Mike: Larry Czonka! : continues to look inside and finds a bunch of old papers. : Servo Troy: Ew, shouldn't have filed that sandwich. : Crow Troy: I've got to find the warranty on this sweater. : opens a box and uncovers a folder labeled "LEMON MINE". : Mike: No wonder Dad lost his money, he invested in lemon mines!! : of Satoris' henchmen cuts through Troy's front door with a chainsaw. : Servo: It's open! : . . . : Crow henchman: Can I interest you in a replacement door? : his henchmen invade Troy's home, evil, deep-voiced Satoris strolls in. : Mike: Canadian villain Garth Vader. N : outruns the cultists' van on his bike. : Mike Cultist: Damn you, Pee-Wee! : [Over several establishing shots of the run-down part of town, the sound of a car engine trying and failing to turn over is heard.] : Crow: Uh-oh, the town's alternator is shot. : Zap Rowsdower: What's your name, laddie? : Troy: Troy MacGregor. : Zap Rowsdower: I'm Rowsdower. Zap Rowsdower. : Crow: Yeah, well my name is Bill Shtinkwater! : truck starts up. : Mike: Rowsdowermobile, away! : Servo: And together they fought crime throughout Southwestern Alberta! : film keeps cutting between Rowsdower's broken-down pickup, a poorly-repainted Gran Torino, and a stolen ten-speed bike. : Crow: frustrated I'm losing track of the crappy vehicles here! : and Troy have lost the pursuing cultists. : Zap Rowsdower: Do you have any idea of what kind of people you're dealing with? : Crow Rowsdower: They're from Saskatchewan! : Troy: No. : Zap Rowsdower: It's a cult. : Servo Rowsdower: They worship blue oysters. : Zap Rowsdower: They want to rule the world. : Troy: How do you know? : Zap Rowsdower: I've been around, kid. : Crow Rowsdower: And I've been a square kid. : Servo: D'oh! : again tries and fails to start his truck as the engine struggles. : Mike: the engine Rowsdower-er-er-er-er... : Rowsdower: Go to hell! : Crow Rowsdower: Or at least Edmonton! : and Troy enter an abandoned shack, Pipper's house, and discover food inside. : Troy: FOOD! : Crow Rowsdower: Yeah, no beer, though. : Pipper: Hey! Who goes there?! : Servo Troy: More FOOD! : Pipper: What the hell you doin' here?! : Crow Troy: We were eating your FOOD! : and Troy encounter Mike Pipper, a crazy old hermit, who holds them at gunpoint. : Pipper: McGreggor? Troy McGreggor? ...Thomas's son? : Troy: Yeah! Did you know him? : Servo Pipper: Know him? He was delicious! : is trudging up a hill : Mike: Hey, how'd he get his pants clean? : Servo: Say what you want about the filthy, grizzled guy, he does a good load of laundry. : . . . : Crow: singing You got mud on your face, you big disgrace, shovin' those sandwiches into your face, singing... : Crow and Servo: We will, we will ROWSDOWER! : Crow: SING IT! : stops singing, but Crow keeps going. : Crow: We will, we... normally Oh, guess that's over. : the final confrontation Troy picks up a rifle and shoots Satoris in the back, who slowly turns to face him. : Servo Satoris: You shot me in the butt! What the hell?! You shot me IN THE BUTT! : group sing as music plays and the credits start to roll : Servo: Oh baby, Rowsdower saves us and saves all the world! : Crow: He comes to save the day in a broken truck. : Mike: With a stinky denim jacket on his back. : Crow: He couldn't help this movie, which really sucked! : Mike: But at least we didn't have to see him play falters h-hackey sack.... : Servo: What?! : Mike: Sorry, I panicked. : the end of the Canada-bashing skit : Servo: "I have no sense of proportion. I'm a disgrace to my uniform. ... Pardonnez-moi! Pardonnez-moi!"﻿ Video releases *Commercially released on DVD by Shout! Factory in March 2010 as part of Volume XVII, a 4-disc set along with The Crawling Eye, The Beatniks, and Blood Waters of Dr. Z. The set has been out of print since 2017. **The DVD includes an interview with Bruce J. Mitchell. References Category:MST3K Episodes Category:Season 9 Category:Episodes directed by Kevin Murphy Category:PG-13-rated movies